Reed Smith expands key client roster in wake of merger

Reed Smith expands key client roster in wake of merger" />Reed Smith's client relationship programme has been expanded to include 45 clients across the globe, having previously focused on 30.

The extension of the programme, now dubbed RS45 rather than RS30, reflects the additional key clients the firm gained via its mergers with Richards Butler in London and Sachnoff & Weaver in Chicago earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has been commissioned to build a system that will allow lawyers across all the firm's offices to share information on these clients.

Meirion Jones, executive director of the firm's clients and markets group, said: "We're trying to offer a consistently high level of service to these clients and to do that we have to make sure we're communicating effectively internally as well as with the client. The RS45 programme is about capturing information about the client and sharing all of it with all members of the client team."

In many cases the client team is spread across several offices, but the Microsoft system is being designed so all lawyers can access and alter client profiles as necessary.

The system will be piloted at the end of the year before being rolled out to cover all RS45 clients in 2008.